This chapter is edited by Rain. Thank you for your contribution!

Chapter 123 Part 1: The World Again, Called “Lighting” (1)

Seated in the mentor’s chair,

Zhao Dapan found himself lost in thought, unable to detach from the performance even for a moment. More than the twisted love, the taboo of homosexuality, the complexities of friendship, or the sense of the church and the Victorian era, what affected him most was the progression of this narrative—ultimately leading to…

—Chu Yuanqing’s death.

If this stage performance allowed the audience to quickly immerse themselves in emotions, then the true essence of “Heart Flow” was brought out by Xie Qingxuan. The re-choreographed dance of “ACUTE” dramatically altered the core of the story, heightening its impact. This transformation was the work of a genius choreographer—Ji Shuzhu.

What truly united these elements and elevated the story’s meaning was the unique personal charm of Chu Yuanqing.

Yes, in Zhao Dapan’s heart, Chu Yuanqing was undoubtedly the protagonist of this dance.

Chu Yuanqing’s purity, sacredness, and natural compatibility with the solemnity of the church are qualities that cannot be imitated or surpassed by personal interpretation.

This character’s presence makes the story on stage very clear. They highlight the emotions and conflicts of all the characters, contrasting their purity with the sins that have been committed. This strongly emphasizes the forbidden feeling of tarnishing the divine image.

So, the ending is amazing and full of vitality.

It can be said that the redesigned dance Ji Shuzhu definitely foresaw Chu Yuanqing’s charm in advance, specifically focusing on their unique charm as the central theme, and thus creating a distinct style in “ACUTE”. Otherwise, it wouldn’t make sense for it to fit so well.

This results in Xie Qingxuan, even as a recognized Stage Tyrant, and even though Chu Yuanqing did not exude their former personal aura in “ACUTE”, the former still became a supporting role used for enhancement.

“Heart Flow” is not invincible.

Or rather, with Chu Yuanqing’s charm displayed through the core of the stage, it is enough to surpass the dazzling brilliance of “Heart Flow”. With the protagonist role’s support, it showcases a unique personal aura.

The performance of this trio dance undoubtedly demonstrates the team’s collaboration at its best, and he believes that no one could perform the same “ACUTE” better.

Zhao Dapan has complex thoughts and countless emotions. He is a traditional musician who has always held a proud attitude towards idols until… “Heart Flow” appears in this magical realm, making him unable to help but feel like a relic of the times.

Now, the country has implemented laws to classify idols, essentially transforming the entertainment industry drastically. Instead of stifling, they are now managing all “Heart Flow” idols, heralding the arrival of a new era.

Zhao Dapan is an experienced elder musician who enjoys creating music. He hopes that the public can appreciate better and more excellent works.

Whether it’s music, dance, stage, or others.

Positive competition is much better than the vicious cycle of driving out good talents with bad ones.

Zhao Dapan focused his thoughts and objectively assessed the performance. He readily praised the performers on stage, offering analysis even beyond vocal performance. While he admired the team’s dedication, he also gently pointed out areas for improvement in their vocals.

Simply put, Xie Qingxuan and Ji Shuzhu performed well, and Chu Yuanqing also showed a lot of improvement.

However, since they were singing in a non-native language and had limited time, many details were not fully controlled. Despite delivering a strong emotional performance, they received more deductions than last time, totaling four or five.

Luo Siling was very satisfied with the expression management, stage emotions, and even the fit with the music of the dance “ACUTE.” After praising the performers, she only gave a symbolic deduction of 1 point.

Jiang Chi quietly pointed toward Chen Baijiu.

Chen Baijiu, used to the routine, began giving feedback:

“I was so surprised by the clever choreography, emotional performance, and your expressions that went beyond my imagination of the dance ‘ACUTE’ itself.”

“It’s hard to believe that you polished this piece within just a week.”

“Ji Shuzhu, in the field of choreography, we stand on the same level, so there’s no need to say much about the adaptation of this dance.”

“Xie Qingxuan, have you taken acting classes before? By starting with just a subtle expression, you perfectly conveyed a mix of jealousy, murderous intent, hesitation, confusion, and anger, setting the stage for the main tone of the performance.”

“This surprised me; if I were a mentor, I would give you full marks in this aspect, just like I would to Director Luo.”

Chen Baijiu nodded one by one.

During this time, Ji Shuzhu on stage seemed somewhat absent-minded.

Her expression was dull, her skin tinged with a blush like after exercise, her eyes half-lidded hiding a sense of haze, with misty water vaporizing inside, her small hands gently placed on the dress, her lower abdomen feeling hot.

Feels so good.

Although Chu Yuanqing had yet to unleash her Heart Flow, her dance, flawlessly executed and centered on her captivating presence, not only revealed the alluring depths of her soul but also elevated the brilliance of the group performance.

If we were to describe the sparkling taste, it is just like the intricate layers of this song “ACUTE”, rich with complexity, combining sourness and excitement, purity and sin, decadence, and desire, like overly rich dark chocolate, yet like overly sweet caramel.

With clouds rolling on the tip of the tongue, the whole body feels completely relaxed.

Deep within the soul spreads comfort, like a rusty emotional mechanism, washing away the dullness with a huge rush of pleasure, and further experiencing the deliciousness within.

Indeed, there is also a taste mixed with rose petals and jelly, like pure milk nurtured with the blood of sin, lingering silky and smooth sweetness in the mouth.

The stage, this is the stage, this is a high-quality stage.

Xie Qingxuan’s Heart Flow taste in the performance is exceptionally pure, surpassing many usual, acting as the undertone of this dish.

Chu Yuanqing’s performance.

No, it should be said that the wonderful qualities that she did not want to show, yet guided out by the stage, became the finishing touch that transformed the taste of the dish.

As for her? She was like the water in soup, the flour in cookies, the rice in fried rice, just a part of the shining foundation, but seemed everywhere, unremarkable, just an element of potential repeatability.

The true role of Ji Shuzhu is that she is a professional chef designing dishes, and a brilliant choreographer to build shining creations.

And now, she is immersed in the season of harvest, wandering in the expanding shine on her taste buds, experiencing once again the taste of happiness.

During this time, a lot of magic steamed deep in her soul, flowing out in a continuous stream, pouring into the platinum ring on her fingers, the colorless diamonds and pure white pearls on it, blooming delicate brilliance.

The same phenomenon occurred with Xie Qingxuan, but unlike Ji Shuzhu’s rapid experience gain, her “Goddess Dress” merely absorbed ten times the usual magical power—far less efficient at replenishing magic than Chu Yuanqing’s kissing technique.

Xie Qingxuan had no extra thoughts.

Over the past week, her control over “Heart Flow” grew more refined, while the skill derived from “Shining Plunder”—”First Move Advantage”—became even more overpowering, fully justifying the title of Stage Tyrant.

If Kirimi Miyuki’s team took the stage first, the odds of winning on this side might be fifty-fifty, but now with this debuff stacked, the difficulty for the other side to turn the tide has entered a hellish level.

It should be noted that this stage is different from the previous “Dangerous Party.”

The addition of Ji Shuzhu not only made the dance more exciting and exquisite but also made every detail fit the personalities and strengths of the three people. Ji Shuzhu himself is like a flawless stage machine.

With Chu Yuanqing’s improvement, the performance of this team is already top-notch even without using “Heart Flow” for amplification.

So, there is absolutely no reason to lose.

Chen Baijiu continued with his comments:

“Chu Yuanqing, despite having a choreographer, you truly showed everyone the charm that is unique to you.”

“And about the dance, the solo part you did, whether it was the progression and outburst of emotions, the graceful agility shown in mid-air spins and landings, all worthy of the ballet dress you wore, truly amazed me.”

“People say that a ballet dress is the shining crown of ballet art, but in my eyes, you are like the brightest gem on that crown within this team.”

As he finished speaking, he deducted 2 points from her dance performance.

So far, apart from the stage effects score, a total of 7.5 points were deducted.

Chu Yuanqing pursed her lips, feeling guilty.